A Sham
by Axeex
Summary: Lux visits Sylas in his cell in the dungeons.
1. A sham

Lux traipsed down the dungeon, keeping herself near the walls so as not to bump into any guard. She approached the last corner of the hallway and pinioned just in time to avoid the two pairs of soldiers who ambled right from the darkness of the path in front of her. The dim light of the torches flickered slightly upon the daft of air but didn't gave her away, nonetheless. The men slowly, almost painfully, strolled forwards, turned and then walked away from her, getting lost again.

She smiled and then kept up again. Her feet almost shuffled on the cobblestone as she took the only path which was kitty-corner from her, almost in pitch black. She walked for a couple of minutes and spotted finally a silhouette of a metal door at the end, which was barred and looked sturdy as hell. Mirth swelling inside her chest, she made it hasty to it.

Stopping in front of it, she peeked inside.

A figure laid there in the middle of the room, kneeled and hunched, with both of their arms restrained witch shackles that were pinned to the ceiling. He was definitely a bloke, bare-chested and with longs tufts of black hair veiling his visage. She would've worried on the spot if she didn't know any better.

With a flick of her staff, Lux's body became visible again, being almost engulfed by the darkness. With a sweeping flourish with it, she created an invisible light wall that would reflect any light coming to her side, effectively blocking vision from whoever on the hall. Just in case. Then, she rapped on the door and walked in without waiting for an answer.

"Sylas…" She whispered, shutting the door behind her. It went off without a hitch, soundless. "I'm back, are you taking a kip?"

Just as she was about to prod in, his head raised, beady-eyed. Lux snickered.

"Lux…? You're back again?" He slurred, fixing his eyes on her. "It's been thrice this week. Won't you raise suspicions?"

Lux shrugged off his angst. Literally.

"Ah, don't worry about those dunderheads. I made nice face at the party yesterday. Mom's pleased so she didn't have nobody tailing me." She answered off-handedly, sidling towards him as though talking about being followed was something to laugh about. "I brought something for you. You'll love it."

Sylas' eyes perked up. He watched her with interest while Lux snatched a book out of nowhere. She kneeled too and opened it, leafing through its pages. She casually felt teensy-weensy magic twinges coming from him, lentamente appraising her so-bright magic. She repressed a knowing look, having known since the first day of her visits about what Sylas was trying to do.

"Ever since the first time I came to call, I've been meaning to bring this." She spoke cheerfully, coming to a halt at the page she was looking for. Sylas tried to catch on the title, his curiosity obviously stirred, but she forestalled him. "_The Tales of Beedle, The Bard_!" She squeaked, excitedly.

He stared at her in stunning silence.

"Come again, little light?"

"_The Tales of Beedle, the Bard _is an array of stories-"

"Which I reckon they're merely fiction, I've heard about it twice before it was banned." He cut her off almost willingly. And the words _before I was thrown into the nick_ went off unsaid.

"…which are worthy of being given the benefit of the doubt," She interrupted him with an annoyed look," because we ourselves have been witnesses of what magic can do. Plus! Everything Demacia bans is probably gold! As a figure of speech, of course. They want to lobotomise us!"

Sylas blinked but nodded, silently agreeing with her on only half of her wording.

"I'll read the Tale of the Tree Brothers". She began, clearing her throat and ignoring the raised eyebrow that he threw at her. "Yes, the _tale_. I think it's amazing."

"Little light, what about the book I-"

"Yes, I know. I'm getting there. Be patient."

Lux steadied herself on her butt and started reading. Sylas stood there, not having any other choice.

"_There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight…_" She said in her mistiest, most faraway voice.

….

"_And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life._" She whispered, starkly enthralled with the end. She looked up, beaming. "Well, did you enjoy it?"

Sylas peeped at her thoughtfully. It was indeed quite entertaining, but he couldn't simply shake off the feeling that it was make-believe. However, he didn't dare contradict her.

"It was really interesting. "He acquitted. "The youngest brother was very cunning and even Death itself appeared impressed… At least, to me."

"I know! It's an amazing piece of writing." Lux breathed dreamily. Sylas looked at her expectantly. "I wonder if it's real. I think I'll go looking around for that river."

"Hopefully Death won't appear in front of you." He quipped, smiling.

Lux glanced at him, a sinking feeling sagging inside of her. She couldn't keep stalling his request anymore. He wanted to be free and she was the only one who didn't have an irrational spite towards him. Because in the end, both he and she had magic flowing their insides. She was "lucky" enough to have been able to be of service to Demacia. He was a wretch.

Closing the book and standing up, she spoke. "Next time I'll bring that book you asked me for." She said soberly, eyeing him up with a front. He beamed up, so she deemed necessary to add. "You'll teach some stuff at last!" She said gaily.

"I will. I promise." He said almost noncommittally.

He thought his face didn't show it, but Lux couldn't be fooled.


	2. Abetter

**I really haven't read much about Sylas' lore. I don't know/remember if it's specifically been clarified how he steals other people's magic, but whatever, I'll do my story my way. **

…

Lux went through the pages of the book with a distraught look, slowly sliding to another and then another. A swirl of thoughts took over her head and put her in a dilemma. Sniffing unsatisfactorily, she tugged on the cover and closed it, adding it up to the tiny pile by her side. She messaged both of her temples to allay her headache.

She's been going through every book she could possibly smuggle into Sylas' cell. The problem was that she wasn't about to betray her nation for doing a "good" deed for a man who was partially off his rocker. He deserves to be free, perhaps, but up to what cost?

Dangerous, hazard magic in each of those books would only aggravate the whole problem. He was skilled in magic. She just needed to give him the staple so that figures how to break free… with the least amount of causalities. She of course knew some stuff, but fessing up would screw over her façade of silliness she's been building up since the first day.

It doesn't really matter if Sylas was a potential mass-murder, or at least her mind had recklessly shaken hands on it with her heart. After all, he was restrained. She's seen those rune carvings on the enormous manacles he wears. Nothing was going to go past that without specific information about it, and giving those away would stand as well for giving away Demacia's secrets. Something else had to be.

He's been growing restive lately and she was at loss.

"Unless…"

Lux's hand slithered towards a tatty book she'd put aside, making up her mind. It was bleak-looking and almost in full dark. She felt outright uneasy by just holding it, but she stopped at one cajoling title.

"Magic loan…" She shilly-shallied, but caved.

She grabbed a piece of spare parchment which was somewhere on the table and started scribbling down her own notes with a quill that was fished out of her pocket. She'll just twist it a little bit. Also she cared not to use her own handwriting.

After being done with it, she also jotted down haphazardly whatever information which looked compelling enough to fool Sylas. It wasn't a good idea to show up with just one meagre tidbit of dangerous magic. Maybe three will do.

The bookkeeper went past her skimping just a glance on her table, then moving away. She might've thought she'd hear shuffling. She then thought age was getting to her.

…

"I couldn't get ahold of any book. All of them are constantly being invigilated and taken stack of." She lied just half-heartedly. A bunch was true, just the latter. "The forbidden side of the library is no monkey business."

The books do are guarded by outer guards and, something that has been kept as a secret jealously, magic wards. However, the King didn't care about inner security then nor will do now. It wasn't long enough until Lux found her way in under her own steam. Poor bookkeeper barely knew where she was standing.

Sylas' looked at her askance. His initial scepticism was shrunk at the very moment she showed him her forgeries. He never tried to read into them. His eyes lit from the beginning to the very end of her shill talk. She played her role wonderfully and he, in exchange, explained heaps of hands-on magic stuff she mostly had already got wind of. Some that were indeed new to her were welcomed with a truthful look.

Throughout the whole chat she led him towards the possibly corollary she thought it was best without tipping him off of her knowledge. As expected, he was quick on the uptake and quickly schemed "something" which, naturally, wasn't shared with her. She simply could tell it by the look of his face.

Sylas' simpered at her at the end.

"So you're saying I can do that with somebody's else magic? That sounds awful…" She said disgustingly yet amazedly. At this point, he was on the clouds, barely paying her attention. Lux relented, not making an effort either. "I think I'll stick with my magic, mind!"

"You'd be surprised by how many things you can come up with." He replied ominously, snickering.

He was somehow not sore after having spent a good amount of time with his neck hanging awkwardly so to read the note on the floor; she wouldn't have it ahold for him to read. He didn't mind apparently. Lux took this as the cue to leave.

Standing up, she brushed dust off the lower part of her thighs and then the shin. "I'll get going. I really drew out this one and the folk might start wondering where I am." Which wasn't a taradiddle, either.

People actually looked up to her. It was good enough to make her forget about the bunch of horrible things she's made.

"I'll see you later, then, Little Light. Thank you."

"Anytime."

She's just abetted a criminal. Was she also one?


End file.
